Good source for exterior shutters?

11 years ago

The short question is: do you know of a good source for exterior shutters? I know there are many online, but it's hard to tell the quality.

The long story is:

We're replacing the windows in 4 rooms. (Shown by arrows in pictures below.) While workers are here to install the windows, we'd like to replace the crummy painted shutters we have now. We'll eventually replace the front door and sidelights (plus the two big windows in front) with a door from ProVia (our Andersen window rep provided the info) or Therma Tru or similar - fiberglass that looks like stained wood but wears better. (We're not doing this yet due to cost, and also we might rebuild the front porch.)

So I'm thinking of replacing the shutters with something similar to the ProVia doors - look like stained wood but wear better, instead of painted. I'm just not sure where to look.

FWIW - I know that shutters are supposed to look like they can actually close and cover the window, but these little shutters are common around here. And in terms of style, well our house is a bit of a hybrid (was a ranch with basement; POs put on the second floor; we added an addition off the back that looks different than the front, mostly because I didn't want more painted brick.) So I don't know what kind of style would look appropriate, although I'll probably stick with the paneled style we have now. I photoshopped a pair of the shutters out, and I think it would look too bare to just remove them.

OK end of long question... shutter source? Style: painted or faux wood to kind of match eventually new front door?

Here are some pictures and thanks in advance!(I'm embarrassed at how bad the grass and shutters look, and took these on a grey, dreary day. Yikes.)

Front:

Back:

{{!gwi}}

Front with shutters removed:

{{!gwi}}

Colors for fiberglass faux wood door; we're likely to go with one of these:

{{!gwi}}

Comments (5)

millymoo
11 years ago
Nice house-really like how the shutters balance the windows below. I wouldn't really be concerned about what they're made of as long as they look good and have some longevity. They're up so high on the house no one will be able to tell if they're wood or some composite.

I probably wouldn't put shutters on the back windows-the traditional-looking front looks vastly different in style from the back and doesn't seem to merit the same detail.

I prefer painted front doors over the stained look just b/c you have more color options with paint and your front door should really stand out, particularly with such a pretty door surround as you have.

Don't have a shutter source for you-I'm in a similar position-will be looking for them in the Spring.

I also don't mind if the shutters would never be able to stretch across the whole window-with my house, there's precious little room to place shutters wide enough to do so. It's still a nice look and there are so many homes that have them anyway-purists may dissagree.

You really have a lovely home-don't worry about the grass-it always comes back!
chicagoans
Original Author
11 years ago
Thank you millymoo! I agree to no shutters on the back; I posted that rear picture in case someone wanted to match a style of the house -- and I don't think we really have a cohesive style.

We have a red painted door right now, and I do like the pop of color. Just hard to see right now because of the screen, and I can't stand the white metal surround of the outer door (screen / storm door.) I like having a screen door in the summer though, so we'll be looking for a door with a screen/storm door option.

You're right about the grass too! It will look better next spring. Sigh.
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shaser
11 years ago
It's hard to tell from the picture, but I'm guessing that the painted shutters you have are vinyl shutters? It will not be possible to achieve the stained finish you have posted with vinyl or even composite wood shutters. However, you could paint those shutters to match a similar color.

I did a similar job in Chicago with Western Red Cedar wood shutters, we put a dark stain on them and then mounted them on functional hinges with the little s-hooks, or shutter dogs as I guess they call them. It really adds to the authenticity of them.

If your looking for something maintenance free... go with a composite wood shutter and then paint it a similar color to your stain. It won't have a wood grain :(

In my opinion the shutters should be wider. Most shutters are vinyl, and vinyl shutters are only available up to about 18 inches wide. However, wood shutters can be made into any width. Especially because you have a lot of space open around the window. It also appears you have some color fading on the brick, which you'll be sure to cover up with wider shutters.

We got the cedar shutters for the job in Chicago from www.Exteriorsolutions.com. The quality was VERY good and the price was better than anywhere. They offered to prime and paint....but we were staining. They custom built the shutters so it took a few weeks, but I got them when they said I would which isn't always the case with a lot of companys... So I appreciated that.

I have a lot of shutter experience! Post any questions!

Also, you will have to post some after pictures! I'm dying to see it finished.

Here is a link that might be useful: Exterior Shutters
chicagoans
Original Author
11 years ago
shaser thank you so much for the info! Yes, ours are vinyl, very lightweight and not great quality. Our front faces south, so we'll need to paint or stain with fading (and Chicago weather) in mind. I'm going to check out this source. Thanks again! (Are you in Chicago? We're western suburbs.)
chicagoans
Original Author
11 years ago
shaser: did you use the Western Red Cedar for durability? I see they have many types of wood. (Since cedar is common for decks and fences here, I'm guessing that it's a good choice for our weather.)

And did you order the 'unfinished - stain grade'?

Thanks!

Good source for exterior shutters?

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millymoo

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shaser

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Good source for exterior shutters?

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millymoo

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shaser

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